Invocation
Invocations were the powerful appeals to the kami that shugenja made to wield astonishing elemental powers. It was an art of relating with, understanding, and communing with the kami directly, often to produce visible effects in the world. Knowledge of this art was also shared by the priests of the samurai caste charged with serving the kami and using their prayers in service of their clans. Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 189 These prayers and offerings were jealously guarded by the shugenja families that had discovered them. Invocations had additional elemental classifications. Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 172 Prepared Invocations Shugenja could also imbue invocations into physical objects, creating mystical talismans that even the uninitiated could use. Generally, these prepared invocations consumed the object in the process of being cast, and thus could only be used once. There were two major ways in which any shugenja prepared an invocation, wards and potions. Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 190 Proper Offerings At the heart of even the most potent invocation was a simple transaction of faith in exchange for power, and the offering symbolized the shugenja's devotion to the spirits who granted them their incredible abilities. While material offerings might seem odd for spiritual beings, these sacraments were extremely efficacious. Different types of spirits preferred different offerings, as example: * Air Spirits: Incense, feathers, flowers * Earth Spirits: Salt, soil or stones from sacred places, seeds * Water Spirits: Coins, seashells, precious materials, seaweed, sake * Fire Spirits: Kindling, paper, ash, small flammable objects * Fortunes: Texts, food, origami, works of art * Honored Ancestors: Food, incense, sake or other libations Known Invocations Air Invocations The air kami were fickle and capricious beings, but none were nimbler or more subtle. They could bestow lightness of step, nimbleness of mind, and the ability to enhance or obscure sight. Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 192 * Blessed Wind (Rank 1) * By the Light of the Moon (Rank 1) * Call Upon the Wind (Rank 2) * Cloak of Night (Rank 2) * False Realm of the Fox Spirits (Rank 4) * Grasp of the Air Dragon (Rank 3) * Essence of Air * Know the Mind * Mask of Wind (Rank 2) * Nature's Touch (Rank 1) * Rise, Air (Rank 4) * Secrets on the Wind (Rank 2) * Summon Fog (Rank 2) * Tempest of Air (Rank 1) * Token of Memory (Rank 1) * Vapor of Nightmares (Rank 3) * Wrath of Kaze-no-Kami (Rank 5) * Yari of Air (Rank 1) Earth Invocations Earth invocations focused on protection, defense against the Shadow, and slow but inevitable destruction. Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 197 * Armor of Earth (Rank 1) * Bind the Shadow (Rank 2) * Caress of Earth (Rank 1) * Courage of Seven Thunders (Rank 1) * Earthquake (Rank 4) * Earth Becomes Sky (Rank 3) * Embrace of Kenro-Ji-Jin (Rank 2) * Essence of Jade (Rank 3) * Grasp of Earth (Rank 1) * Jade Strike (Rank 1) * Jurōjin's Balm (Rank 1) * Power of the Earth Dragon (Rank 3) * Rise, Earth (Rank 4) * Stagnation * Symbol of Earth (Rank 2) * Tetsubō of Earth (Rank 1) * Tomb of Jade (Rank 5) * Wall of Earth (Rank 1) Fire Invocations The fire kami were ferocious and direct, and invocations of fire could be equally ferocious. These prayers were some of the most destructive a shugenja can summon. Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 202 * Armor of Radiance (Rank 2) * Biting Steel (Rank 1) * Breath of the Fire Dragon (Rank 3) * Extinguish (Rank 1) * Fires of Purity * Fukurokujin's Wit (Rank 1) * Fury of Osano-wo (Rank 3) * Katana of Fire (Rank 1) * Matsu's Batttlecry (Rank 1) * Ravenous Swarms (Rank 3) * Rise, Flame (Rank 4) * The Cleansing Fire (Rank 1) * The Fires from Within (Rank 1) * The Fires that Cleanse * The Soul's Blade (Rank 5) * Wall of Fire (Rank 2) * Wings of the Phoenix (Rank 4) Water Invocations Water invocations granted the shugenja speed and quick reflexes, as well as the ability to heal injuries and calm the fevered mind. Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 207 * Bō of Water (Rank 1) * Dance of Seasons (Rank 2) * Dominion of Suijin (Rank 1) * Ever-Changing Waves (Rank 5) * Hands of the Tides (Rank 3) * Heart of the Water Dragon (Rank 2) * Inari's Blessing (Rank 1) * Path to Inner Peace (Rank 1) * Reflections of P'an Ku (Rank 1) * Rise, Water (Rank 4) * Stride the Waves (Rank 2) * Strike the Tsunami (Rank 3) * Suijin's Embrace (Rank 4) * Sympathetic Energies (Rank 2) * The Rushing Wave (Rank 2) See also * Rituals * Signature Scroll *